


Starman

by orphan_account



Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: M/M, i would tag what this is an AU of but it would kinda give away the story a bit, mcpriceley, mcpricely - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-19 23:37:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7382149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kevin Price had been told what needs to motivate him.</p>
<p>Not fame, not glory, he needs to get home... for Connor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starman

Kevin stepped slowly over the threshold into the small house he shared with his husband. It was a quaint house with paneling on the outside and painted baby blue. He would miss this house, and the little suburb they called home with its rolling green grass and "Children Playing, Drive Carefully" signs. Kevin had wanted children one day, so did Connor, his husband.

"Is everything alright?" Connor asked, approaching Kevin from the kitchen with an apron tied around his waist. Kevin stopped in the doorway and looked up at the chip in the doorframe that he put there by accident when they were moving in. He rubbed his hand down the wooden frame sadly. "What happens if I don't come back after tomorrow?"

Connor tilted his head and looked sideways at Kevin. "Why would you say something like that Kevin? Today of all days why on Earth, no pun intended, would you think that's okay to say?"

The oven beeped in the kitchen and Connor scowled at Kevin before rushing into the kitchen again. Kevin closed the front door and went to their bedroom. He fell onto the bed face-first and turned his head to the side to stare at the wall. A pin on his uniform jacket poked at his chest but he didn't care to remove it.

About half an hour later, a pair of hands rested on Kevin's upper back and began kneading circles into his tense muscles. "Are you nervous?" Connor asked.

"Yeah." Kevin said, slightly arching his back as Connor tried to massage out a knot by his shoulder blade.

"This is your dream Kevin, ever since you were a kid. I saw your childhood bedroom, covered with posters, it's hard to imagine you doing anything else."

Kevin sat up and faced Connor. "I know," He rubbed his eyes. "but I'm worried that I'm in over my head."

"They don't let just anyone do this. You've worked with them for years and they obviously believe in you and your abilities or else you wouldn't be going." Connor placed his hands on Kevin's shoulders and pulled him forward so that Kevin was leaning on him in a half-hug, he rubbed his back. "Okay?"

Kevin nodded against Connor's chest. "Okay."

After dinner Kevin went straight to bed and Connor stayed up to watch that night's episode of Game of Thrones which Kevin usually waited religiously for every week. After the show, Connor turned in for the night. He found Kevin still awake when he joined him in bed. Connor tried to offer comfort, kissing the back of Kevin's neck but he was shrugged off with a gruff "Not in the mood." from his husband.

 

\---

 

The next morning Kevin was up at 4:30 to shower and iron his uniform. Until recent months he hadn't had such an elaborate uniform. His old uniform of a t-shirt, khakis, and lanyard never needed ironing or dry cleaning or fitting.

Before he left at 5, Kevin grabbed Connor's shoulder and gently shook him awake.

Connor sat up and rubbed his bleary eyes as he let out a massive yawn. "What time is it?" He groaned.

"It's five in the morning. I'm leaving."

Realization hit Connor and he got out of bed. He took Kevin's hands in his own and looked up into his eyes. "You'll be fine, I believe in you."

"We're going to Skype every single day, right?"

Connor smiled. "It's a date." He pulled Kevin into a hug and place a long, slow kiss on his lips. "I love you Kev."

 

\---

 

Arriving at work was bittersweet.

On one hand, Kevin was about to realize his life's goal at the young age of twenty-six. On the other hand, he might not live to be twenty-seven, heck, he could even die within the next few hours if fate saw fit.

Kevin scanned his keycard at the front door and they slid open with a hissing sound. A trainee guard at the security kiosk launched out of his swivel chair and saluted Kevin, the veteran guard stayed seated but offered a respectful nod in Kevin's direction.

As soon as he entered the base of operations, Kevin was mobbed by doctors checking his eyes with little lights, AT guys explaining how coms and computers would work, members of the ethics and law departments getting waivers and consent forms signed. It was chaos until a man with salt-and-pepper hair and a uniform just like Kevin's approached. The crowd dispersed for this man immediately. His jacket had far more badges and medals than Kevin's and chords and patches adorned his sleeves. "How do you feel son?" He asked.

"Terrified."

"That means you're not an idiot. Terrified is good. Terrified will save your life. Do you have a family?"

"I'm married."

"Kids?"

"Not yet, but hopefully some day."

"What's her name?"

Kevin glanced at his shoes and then back up at his superior. "Connor."

The older man didn't even bat an eye. "Well let Connor be the reason you keep fighting, you hear me? Don't do it for glory, do it to get back home to him and get those children you want someday. Do it for the science that you're so passionate about and the future of humanity that you're paving the way for. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir, I understand."

"Good luck son."

 

\---

 

Nearly thirteen agonizing hours after Kevin's conversation with the man, it was almost time to go. The staff had thrown a celebration with a buffet of classic American breakfast foods and a massive sheet cake that Kevin felt too nauseous to eat any of. A few technicians invited Kevin to play a game of poker, which he lost, but it was all in good fun.

Now, out the window in the purplish twilight, Kevin could see three bleachers packed with people holding binoculars and signs. He saw a little boy sitting on his father's shoulders and smiled, that used to be him.

A young woman with thick glasses and long hair pulled back into a tight ponytail came up behind Kevin. "It's time, Mr. Price."

Kevin nodded almost robotically and followed the young woman to a sterilized room with only one thing in it, his suit. It was pristine white with a fresh patch emblazoned on the shoulder. Kevin ran his thumb over the raised lettering of the logo that had been the focal point of his entire life so far.

"NASA." He breathed.

The suit was made to be stepped into like some kind of armor. Kevin placed his feet in the heavy boots and fit his body into the open suit like a puzzle piece. The suit sealed itself around him and Kevin reached down to pick up his helmet. He rested the helmet on his hip as he carried out of the building and onto the flight platform. Connor would be at his mother-in-law's house right now watching this on tv with the rest of his family. Most of the country was watching Kevin right now and he could feel every single pair of eyes on him.

There was still nearly two hours until takeoff but Kevin was required to run checks on all sorts of machinery before he received the go for launch.

Those two hours ticked by agonizingly slow. With the guidance of Mission Control, Kevin concluded that everything in the ship was functional. He glanced over at the empty co-pilot's seat beside him. Another young man named Arnold was supposed to join him on the mission but the scientist couldn't pass the physical fitness tests required to qualify for space travel.

Kevin had gotten his degree in astrophysics, but he was working as a tour guide in the guest facilities of the Kennedy Space Center when NASA announced that they were looking for astronauts.

Untrained, inexperienced, and overly-confident, Kevin had showed up at the NASA facilities in Cape Canaveral still wearing his glasses and tour guide uniform.

At first, he was taken as a joke among the various scholars and physicians who screened the applicants, a sort of dark horse that people watched with amused curiosity. That amusement died as Kevin proved himself time and time again, acing tests, solving problems, repairing machinery. He had been lying on the couch with Connor when he got the call telling him that he was chosen to go on the first manned mission to Mars and now here he was only moments away from the journey of a hundred lifetimes.

"Ready Kevin?" A voice said in the com in Kevin's ear. Distantly, he could hear the message on speakers being played for the crowd.

"I'm go for launch."

"Alright, Godspeed brother."

"You too... wait no! I meant thank you."

Blush burned Kevin's ears as he imagined all of the country and maybe even the world laughing at his awkward blunder.

"Starting countdown. 10, 9, 8..."

Kevin shifted in his seat, he missed Connor, wanted to hold him one more time before he left.

"5, 4..."

If he died would there be a big memorial in DC? Would they display his photo on a giant screen in Times Square?

"3, 2, 1, lift off!"

Pressure smashed into Kevin and he felt for a moment like the skin might peel off his face or that all of his ribs would just cave in.

What seemed like hours passed and then suddenly, Kevin was in space, just out of Earth's orbit. Out the window he could see chunks of his ship drifting back towards Earth, useless and done. He unbuckled his seatbelt and floated upwards, allowing himself to bump his head on the roof.

His ship was a small one, substantially smaller than most others he'd seen traveling places like the Moon or the ISS, but soon enough he'd arrive on Mars where NASA technicians had spent years remotely building a livable base on the red planet's surface with specialized rovers.

According to the salt-and-pepper-haired man, who Kevin learned was named Mafala, the trip to Mars would take 6 and a half months, but it would feel like much less when he finally arrived.

Kevin twisted his helmet off and used his hands to guide his floating body into the living quarters. With autopilot running, Kevin could enjoy the few luxuries he had alone in space. In a cubbyhole by his bed Kevin found a plastic box full of objects meant for entertainment. A deck of cards, some National Geographic magazines, and a classic Gameboy with a couple of cartridges that Kevin didn't really care to go through at the moment.

Since there was nobody with him, the cards were pretty much useless, around 30 days into the trip Kevin learned that playing Solitaire in zero gravity was nearly impossible.

 

\---

 

Nearly a month passed since launch and Kevin and Connor Skyped each other every day.

Connor was laying in bed with his laptop on his stomach. "So how was space today?" He asked with a yawn.

"Same old same old I guess. How was work?"

"Same old same old I guess."

Kevin smiled. "I have something to show you." He picked uo his laptop and positioned it so that Connor could see out the only window in the living quarters. He heard a gasp from the speakers.

"Oh my god, Kevin is that what you're seeing everyday?" Connor asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, when I decide to look out the window."

"If I was there I would never leave the window, I'd just sit there and stare for days."

"Trust me it gets old."

"How so?"

"I dunno," Kevin turned the laptop back to face himself and brushed his fingers through his hair. "sometimes it makes me feel a little lonely."

Connor smiled and pretended to hug his laptop. "I miss you."

"I miss you ten thousand times more."

"Doubt that."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! More chapters to come. Find me on tumblr @eriksfavoritecape :)


End file.
